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Cloudy water is the result of turbidity. The higher the turbidity level, the cloudier the water looks.
Turbidity is an indirect measure of particulates in the water. It can result from clay, silt, organic matter, plankton or micro-organisms entering the water system.
Drinking Water
High turbidity can interfere with the disinfection of drinking water and can be a source of disease causing micro-organisms.
As turbidity levels increase, the water system operator and/or VIHA Drinking Water Officers assess the situation. Based on the assessment, one of the following notices may be communicated to the water system users:
- Boil Water Notice (BWN) – issued when there is an adverse microbiological health risk associated with water use.
- Water Quality Advisory (WQA) – issued when there is some level of risk associated with water use but circumstances do not warrant a BWN.
- Public Water Communication (PWC) – issued when there is a change in the appearance of the water but does not involve a health risk.
To help determine when it is appropriate to issue a water notice, VIHA has adopted the Ministry of Healthy Living and Sports, Decision Tree for Responding to a Turbidity Event in Unfilitered Drinking Water (PDF).
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